Strike King 2016 New Product Tour - Part 1

Submitted by Full Limit Outdoor Media

If you’re a fan of fishing or more specifically, fishing tackle, the ICAST show is the equivalent of a kid getting a sneak peek into Santa’s workshop. The ICAST show is the showcase event for manufacturer’s newest, latest and greatest offerings into the fishing world. It is understood and anticipated that all the new products for the coming fishing season. It is closed to the public, but is heavily attended by retailers as well as the fishing media in hopes getting a firsthand look at what is going to be the “next big thing” in fishing. Due to all of this, ICAST is obviously a big event for Strike King. We are known throughout the fishing industry for our innovative and aggressive new product launches, and ICAST is where it all begins.

In an effort to bring you the most current detail and news on Strike King products, I’m going to break down our new products for 2016 in a few separate writings. In this installment I’ll take you through our new wire baits as that is the category that this company was founded on. Check back as I’ll be previewing our other new products in the coming days.

Let’s start with our new buzzbait, the Swinging Sugar Buzz. So, think buzzbait meets wobblehead. The blade, head and line tie are independent of the hook and skirt via a jointed connection between the two. This accomplishes a couple things. First, it allows your blow-ups to equate into solid hook-ups as bass have a nearly impossible time slinging the bait as they have very little to no leverage. Second, the skirt and trailer, if you choose to use one, take on a life of their own as they trail virtually unimpeded behind the head and blade. This allows for action that impossible to produce with any other buzzbait. My personal favorite feature of the Swinging Sugar Buzz is it’s “tweakability”. That word (that I’m fairly certain I just invented) means that you can tune the bait to accomplish a number of different presentations. Pressured or spooky fish? No problem! Widen the gap between the blade from the head and replace the skirt with a Swimmin’ Caffeine Shad and quiet the bait down and allow for a more finesse offering. Has stained water moved in and messed up your buzzbait spot? No problem! Mash the blade close to the head for a clackin’, head-bangin’ racket that bass can easily locate in the muddiest of water. Just want to catch a big one? No problem! My favorite way to tune the Sugar Buzz is to bend the wire so that the blade barely makes contact with the head and it makes a unique “purring” sound. I don’t know exactly what it sounds like to bass, but it must be the equivalent of a dinner bell! The Swinging Sugar Buzz comes in ¼, 3/8, and ½ oz. sizes and 6 proven colors.

Now, let’s talk about the Lil’ Mr. Money spinnerbait. The Lil’ Mr. Money is the brainchild and staple of fishing legend George Cochran. George attributes much of his tournament success over the years to the ability of this spinnerbait to put keeper bass in the boat under most all conditions. It’s available in one size (3/16) and one blade combination (Colorado/Indiana) as George deemed that to be the perfect combination. And, if consumer response is a barometer, he was right. Here’s the scoop on this lil’ fish catching machine. This is your go to bait when bites matter. This bait has won thousands and thousands of dollars in situations where bites were hard to come by or fish were exceptionally pressured. The Lil’ Mr. Money was built for one thing and one thing only, and that is to get bit!

Stay tuned as I follow this up in the next day or so with the latest offering from Strike King in jigs.

Strike King 2016 New Product Tour - Part 2

Submitted by: Full Limit Outdoor Media

Part two of our ICAST coverage will encompass the all new soft plastics from Strike King. Between the Rage Tail and KVD Perfect Plastics line, Strike King has two unique formulas that cover any possible fishing scenario. That lineup got stronger with these additions.

The Ocho is Strike King’s version of a soft stickbait that debuted a couple years back. It’s not a bait that we invented, but it is a bait that we made better. Here is the reason, most, ok all, other baits in this genre are round. The Ocho features flat sides. Those flat sides really increase the “wiggling” or “shimmy” action as the lure falls as the pressure of the water has a flat surface to work against. Plus, the unique formulation of the KVD Perfect Plastic is, well, perfect for this application.

The Ocho saw a massive spike in popularity from 2014 to 2015. That led to countless requests from our consumers as well as pour pro staff for a broader size range in this bait style. So, for 2016 the existing 5” and 7” Ocho got some siblings. The all-new 4” and 6” Ocho’s should round out the line in a big way.

Here’s the scoop on the two new sizes. We’ll begin with the 4”. Don’t let its small stature fool you. The 4” Ocho can get big bites! This size is perfect for a few specific scenarios. Clear water that demands a finesse offering is perfect for this size and style of bait. Smallmouth and spotted bass are no match for this little guy. They just can’t resist it! Bed fishing just got easier for everybody that has these in their tackle box as well. And, you can Texas rig it, drop shot it, and put it on a shakey head. You can also split shot it, Ned rig it, wacky rig it, and use it on a finesse Carolina rig. The 4 incher is the bait that will get you bit no matter how big or how small!

The 6” Ocho is a bit beefier than its new little brother. It is obviously linger, but it also boats a greater girth as well. The 6” size has the perfect weight to allow for the fall rate that you for with this type of bait. This is the one that should be perfect for fishing weightless. The 6” Ocho should be the all-around best size for casting around for big largemouth from the tulles in Florida to the hyacinths in the CA Delta and everywhere between. This is hands down my favorite size of our 4 Ocho offerings.

Now, let’s talk about the all-new Magnum Caffeine Shad. This one is going to be a game changer! Imagine our already awesome 5” caffeine shad beefed up to 7 inches! It’s a mondo soft jerkbait with incredible action and endless applications. The difference in our soft jerkbaits and our competitors is found in the weight and tail design. Both of these add up to a bait that casts better/farther and has WAY more action! The action when stopped is also a huge difference maker. The Caffeine Shad doesn’t fall like a blob of plastic when stopped. It falls horizontally with a shimmy action akin to the Ocho.

Now, let’s take all that proven awesomeness and multiply it by making it bigger. The new Mag Caffeine Shad casts father, swims wider and more naturally, and attracts big bites better than any other bait on the market in this category. It will be murder on schoolers! It is perfect for twitching around overtop submerged vegetation. How about Texas rigged and on a Structure Head for offshore fish? It will be killer as a trailer on a number of popular style vibrating jigs.

Also, this bait has so many multi-species applications that it’s ridiculous. From fresh to salt, there isn’t much that won’t eat this bait. But, the one thing that I think it will become a staple for is stripers. The size, profile and action just lends itself to striper fishing. But, no matter you’re casting for, if they’re big and chase bait, consider them caught with the all-new Magnum Caffeine Shad!

Finally, I am going to end this segment with a new soft plastic for Strike King that has our staff and pro staff raving. I’ve already had the chance to throw this one a lot with tremendous results. It is not only a fish catching machine, but also a kicker magnet. I’m talking about the all-new Bull Worm! This bad boy is 10” of straight tail, straight monster catching madness. Rig this big dude up on a stand up head and drag it around a brush pile, stump row, shell bed or offshore ledge and see what happens. But, I will advise from experience that you had better have the net ready! The Bull Worm adds a great deal of diameter to its length which adds up to a big bait that big fish can’t resist. We all know that tournaments are won with big bites. This is the bait that will deliver those to the end of your line.

That concludes our new soft baits for 2016, but we also added a few new colors to our lineup. They are: Black, Delta Red, Plum Apple, Bubble Gum, Methiolate, Glacier, Ghost Minnow and Siren. Check out our 2016 catalog for a pic of what they look like and what bait styles they are available in. Also, check back soon as I introduce you to more new Strike King products for 2106.